


Love you like XOXO

by GlitterCake20



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cute things, Drunk Liam, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, In love Theo, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 11:58:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14670624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterCake20/pseuds/GlitterCake20
Summary: All it takes is a bit of wolfsbane booze, pretty carnival lights and a cute chimera for Liam to come to his senses.





	Love you like XOXO

**Author's Note:**

> Party Inspired by [ this song ](https://youtu.be/3xUfCUFPL-8)

_“So with that, on behalf of everyone here, I would like to wish you two a happy, long and fulfilled life. Cheers!”_

 

Everyone claps and cheers and Liam downs his sixth champagne flute in the last half an hour and holds it up with the rest of the crowd as he watches the happy couple kiss in their matching suits and with their shiny rings and perfectly blissful faces. His own tie is somewhere in the bathroom where he puked the first time, his hair is hanging in his eyes and his vision is blurry despite him being supernatural. Maybe if he drinks enough, this time his healing _won’t_ sober him up, maybe if he downs a seventh glass he’ll just black out and won’t have to see the love of his life and his _husband_ have their first dance… maybe he will just black out hard enough so he never ever remembers anything again. Maybe...

 

“Whoops!”

 

“Sorry… sorry, just walk around me, there you go grandma. Yeah okay.” Liam says and motions in a circle around his body. The old lady glares at Liam and he staggers a few more times before his arm is yanked back and he’s pulled up straight by the lapels of his jacket.

 

“You look like shit.”  Malia says grimacing at the scruffy Liam in front of her. She dusts his jacket off as if that would make a major difference in his muddled appearance, “You need to go home.”

 

“Well….” He drawls out the words, swaying on the spot where he’s standing, “I don’t want to, I’m having fun and also I can’t drive because I’m too drunk now.”

 

“Oh, hey look, Theo doesn’t wanna be here either, “Hey! Asshole!! Come here!!” she shouts at the brooding chimera across the room and he ignores her, doesn’t even glance in her direction, so she grabs Liam by the sleeve of his jacket and drags him over to where Theo is leaning against a pillar.

 

“Hey James Bond, you need to take him home.” She says presenting Liam as if the mere vision of his pathetic appearance will convince Theo, all while Liam leans his head on her shoulder for some stability, eyes closed.

 

“Why.” He asks, but it’s not really a question, he is still not looking at her or Liam, just staring off into the distance taking slow sips of his drink.

 

“Well shit _Theo,_ because you two are utterly miserable and you are going to ruin the night for Brett and Nolan with your sulking toddler faces. What’s your deal anyway? I mean I get _him_ ,” she shoves Liam’s head away, “but what’s your problem? You also in love with one of the grooms?”

 

This time she gets his attention, he draws his dark green eyes away from the ground and they skim over the coyote and then settle on the skunk-drunk beta beside her. Theo’s eyebrows shoot up and a mocking smirk pulls his lips to the side, “I’m fine Malia, I hate people and parties and noise, but I’m trying to be that good guy you all want right? So I’m here, being happy for these two guys I don’t even know, because that’s what regular folk do right?”

 

Malia rolls her eyes and shoves Liam into Theo’s chest, “Whatever. Take him home.” She orders and walks off without another word. Theo pushes Liam off him but quickly tugs him back when the beta stumbles too far and almost trips over a pot plant, “Jesus, you’re drunk. Well you heard the boss, let’s get you home.”

 

“What is she, like the first lady? Huh?” Liam slurs as Theo drapes the beta’s heavy arms over his shoulders, heading for the door. Most of his weight is leaning on the chimera but he carries him with ease, Liam feels a smidge of guilt because he knows chimeras aren’t as strong as real wolves and he also knows he’s heavy. Theo doesn’t seem fazed though, tugging Liam closer when he slips.

 

“Yeah, I don’t know what you’re talking about but can you at least _try_ to walk?” Theo says and hoists Liam up further, his hand now riding up the beta’s shit where he grips into warm skin to keep Liam up. Theo ignores the rush the contact sends through his head.

 

“You know because Scott is like the president and she is with him so that like makes her the first lady… You dig?”

 

“I dig?? You read The Outsiders again didn't you?” Theo stumbles out the door, drunk beta in tow and heads for his truck.

 

“No, I read The Outsiders again. ”

 

The snorts and pinches his side, “That's what I said you dork."

 

Theo lifts Liam into the passenger seat once they get to the truck and secures his floppy body with the seatbelt. Liam’s head slumps forward and Theo pushes it back gently. His eyes are closed and a silly half-smile stays plastered on his face and Theo finds his hand lingering in the beta’s hairline. His fingers twitch to move, they ache, but he takes his hand away and shuts the door.

 

Theo takes a deep breath when he gets in the drivers’ seat, his knuckles turn white around the wheel as he tries to wipe Liam’s smile from his memory, as he tries his hardest not to act on what he’s been feeling. He thinks about what a ridiculous cycle this all is, Brett in love with Nolan, Liam in love with Brett and Theo helplessly in love with Liam…

 

Liam startles awake from his brief black out when Theo’s starts up the truck, “What?? What happened… Oh… Theo, hi.” He looks around the inside of Theo’s truck, sober eyes settling sheepishly on the chimera.

 

“Yeah, hi Liam.” he says, and he puts the hard face back on upon making eye contact with Liam, withdraws like he always does when he’s around Liam. It’s safer when he looks like he doesn’t give a shit because the only thing worse than loving someone who doesn’t love you back is everyone knowing you love someone like that.  It’s raw and open and none of anyone’s business… not even Liam’s.

 

Liam sits up and shifts around in the seat, fiddles with the seatbelt before he glances back to Theo, “I guess you got stuck babysitting the drunk, lovesick idiot, huh? Sorry…”

 

“You’re not an idiot for being in love with someone Liam, you’re human, you have a heart.” He knows what a contradiction his words are, and he feels how they sting when he talks about the person Liam loves when it’s not him.

 

“That obvious huh.” Liam says looking down at the tangled fingers in his lap, heart sinking to his stomach again when he thinks about how Brett kissed Nolan and the stupid happy look on his face that Liam just wanted to punch off. Thank god the alcohol subdued the wolf enough or he might have done that.

 

Theo’s demeanor softens and he clears his throat- he’s about to show Liam a side of him that he never shows, “Liam, I’m here if you need to talk… or anything.” He takes a deep breath, “I can’t do much, but I can listen… and make fun of you until you forget about him.” He says with a small smile and looks back at the road.

 

Theo doesn’t see Liam’s face when the beta turns to him, he doesn’t see the brief flash of shock across his face, or the way his eyes blink with gratitude and surprise, “Or anything huh?” he repeats Theo’s words and before the chimera can answer Liam carries on, “You wanna have some fun?” he asks taking out four packets of wolfsbane and vodka mix from his jacket pocket and wiggling them around between him and Theo.

 

Theo snorts, “You haven’t had enough?”

 

“I can still see them kissing, so no…”

 

Theo laughs and nods, “Yeah okay, what have you got in mind Liam?” Theo has nowhere else to be, he told Melissa he’d only be home in the morning anyway, and besides, his heart is beating wildly at the thought of spending time with Liam in a setting other than war.

 

“Everything!” Liam says, tearing open a packet and pouring the content into the empty flask that he pulls from his jacket. His tongue pokes out the side of his mouth as he concentrates not to spill anything but Theo hits a bump and his white collar shirt is stained yellow down the front, the wolfsbane tingles on his skin, “You asshole.” He curses but smiles.

 

Theo laughs and takes the flask, chugging back the bitter vodka mix and hands it back to Liam. He pulls the car into an empty lot and kills the ignition, “I guess we walk from here huh?” he says and turns to Liam, unknotting his tie, letting it hang loose around his neck. He notices Liam’s tie is long gone and the buttons are open, revealing a fine growth of hairs and again his fingers stir in his lap to touch it but he holds back.

 

Liam eyes the carnival in the distance, the huge round wheel spinning in the night sky, colorful lights shoot through the dark and even from the truck they can hear the excited screams and laughter coming from there. Theo turns to find Liam’s eyes sparkling almost as bright as the lights rotating on the Ferris wheel, “Let’s go,” the beta says and is out of the truck before Theo is done looking. Theo tosses his jacket into the back of the truck and follows Liam.

 

Liam has their tickets and is already on his way to the first stall, they decide against any throwing or hitting games, the last thing they need are hunters seeing them, so they stick to the less obvious things. The first up is bumper cars and Liam jumps the barricade, sliding down into one of the seats, “Come on Raeken!” He takes out the flask and sucks down a big sip of laced vodka and holds it out to Theo.

 

The chimera tugs the legs of his pants up and lowers himself into a cart, taking the flask, he looks around for prying eyes before taking a sip and handing it back. Soon the cars fill up with people and the mechanics start up, swinging them around, and the two wolves hit each other as hard as they can whenever they pass one another, laughing and cursing when they crash their cars and their bodies jolt forward. When it eventually ends, Liam drags Theo away by his wrist and the chimera makes grabby hands for the flask, his throat now dry from the screaming and warm night air.

 

Their hair is messy and wind-swept and their cheeks flushed after that, not that you’d notice under the red and orange hues of the carnival lights as they make their way to a vintage photo booth. Theo takes another sip and stands in front of it with Liam, they wait for the couple inside to finish while they alternate the flask between them.

 

“You drive like shit Dunbar, utter shit.” Theo says nudging at Liam with his shoulder. Liam nudges back and looks down, putting the flask back in his pocket. A thin layer of sweat has formed on Liam’s forehead and he wipes it away, pushing his long hair back. Theo’s eyes get carried away again, he hates himself for it but he can’t help but stare… Liam's mouth parts and he runs his hand through his hair, he licks over his lips quickly like he was about to say something but when he turns he finds Theo mid-stare, and Liam smiles.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing, just wondering if you feel better yet?”

 

Liam thinks for a second, “You know, it’s not that I’m still so helplessly in love with him…” He swallows and looks ahead again and so does Theo while he listens to Liam speak his heart, “It’s that I thought it would be me, you know, happy and set for life. I thought he was the one. I mean I _care_ for him, but it hurts more that I’m alone and he moved on so fast, is all.”

 

“I get it.” Theo says, “You will find someone. We all do at some point.”   _Please let that someone be me._

 

“Yeah, I know. I know. Just sucks that I have to start over, get to know someone new and all their shitty little habits.” He turns to Theo as if he realized a thing he never knew about the chimera, “Do you have someone like that? I mean are you _with_ someone??” he feels bad not asking before, never paying attention. He considers Theo a friend and friends know this about each other. He’d been so obsessed with his own misery, it never occurred to him.

 

“Me? No… No the guy I like doesn’t know I exist.”

 

The booth opens and a love-drunk couple stumbles out, their lips red and their hands tangled. Theo darts inside not waiting for Liam’s response, but he should have because Liam stares after him with a frown of disbelief on his face, he always assumed Theo had a string of people after him, he was so beautiful how could he not have? “What a fool.” Liam mumbles under his breath about Theo’s oblivious crush and follows the chimera inside.

 

The seat is small and Theo scoots up to the corner making space for Liam, the beta throws himself down, fishing out the flask as Theo slots a coin in and the machine lights up. There is countdown on the screen and as Liam takes a swig, the flash goes off with Theo’s mouth open, mid-protest.

 

“I wasn’t ready!!”

 

“Here it comes again! Come here!” Theo shouts and pulls Liam in with his arm around his neck, Liam’s face is one of surprise, mouth in the shape of a small ‘o’ and the chimera has a huge cheesy grin on his face when the camera flashes again.

 

“Another one! Three, two, one!..... Wait… Liam!”

 

Liam laughs and holds the flask up to Theo’s mouth, he opens up and Liam pours it into his mouth, it spills over his lips when the next flash goes off and it captures Liam’s gasp as Theo spurts the vodka up in the air.

 

“Oh my god!!” Liam squeals and they both laugh looking at each other -Theo’s lips and chin glisten and Liam’s long hair drapes messily over his one eye, the chimera’s arm still hooked around Liam’s neck-… and that’s the moment the last flash captures.

 

They too, stumble out of the booth and wait for their photos on the side, “These are going to suck so bad!” Liam says stuffing the flask back in his pocket. Theo laughs and wipes his mouth with his sleeve and rolls them up, “They won’t, but you can certainly learn to aim a little better, there is vodka in my navel, Liam.”

 

Liam doesn’t answer because now he is the one staring, he frowns at the warm flush that ignites in his chest and spreads out to the surface of his skin, it’s the most ridiculous thing to blush at your own thoughts but he does, “Theo?” he asks as if the chimera could tell him what the burning feeling in his stomach is, why there are suddenly crazy little butterflies spinning tornados in there.

 

“Yeah?” the chimera answers but the machine beeps and spits out the photos, “Oh shit! Look! Look at our eyes!!” Theo pulls out the photo strip and stands closer to Liam so they both can see. “Must be the flash on our wolf eyes!” Theo gapes in amazement at the red glows emanating from their eyes on the picture and keeps talking but Liam hears nothing more. He only hears his thundering heart that he hopes Theo can hear too, he hopes he asks him why his heart is going nuts so he can tell him the truth. Theo looks at him, and everything around them bends into slow motion, Liam stares at him like it’s the first time he’s ever seen Theo and a crooked smile forms on his face as he wonders how he could have been so stupid all this time… this boy is amazing and he wants him.

 

“Liam! What are you doing, you weirdo?! Come on. Are you drunk again?” Theo asks as he folds the photos and places them in the pocket of his shirt, he presses a hand over it, a soft pat to secure it there close to his heart.

 

“Uh… no, not drunk.” _Idiotic and quite possibly in love but not drunk_ , he thinks as he follows Theo into the crowd of people to where a woman is singing on stage, the song sounds vaguely familiar, lots of people chant with her and do a dance with their hands to the words she sings.

 

> **_Your heart is glowing_ **
> 
> **_And I’m crashing into you_ **
> 
> **_Baby kiss me_ **
> 
> **_Before they turn the lights out_ ** **_._ **

****

Theo and Liam take up a spot in the front near the stage between the swaying, singing bodies. They stand close together and watch the other people make the hand gesture again and the lady calls for everyone to join as she builds to the chorus. The crowd lifts their hands first to form a heart and then they cross their arms in an X before bringing it into a O above their heads, repeatedly and to the beat of the song.

 

> **_Nobody sees what we see_ **
> 
> **_They're just hopelessly gazing_ **
> 
> **_Oh, baby, take me_ **
> 
> **_Before they turn the lights out_ **

****

Liam catches Theo’s face just as he carnival lights flash across it, he’s smiling and laughing along with the crowd when the artist says something and because Theo could feel the burn on his cheek, he turns his head to find Liam’s vivid blue eyes staring back at him. Theo smiles, looking down to where the backs of their hands press together and Liam follows his gaze. The beta lifts his hand up, holding it out in front of them, forming one half of a heart and Theo brings his hand up too, bending his fingers to form the rest of the heart.

 

Liam drags his eyes away from their hands to find Theo’s expression contemplative, he sees the uncertainty there and he doesn’t like it because what he feels now for this boy- what he supposes he had always felt for him- is anything but uncertain. It’s brilliant and bright in his heart, its calm and wild at the same time and he had never felt that way before, not even for Mr. Talbot-Holloway.

 

So, he links their hands and intertwine their sticky vodka fingers, lifting his now yellow eyes to Theo, whose lips part as his eyes flash back and Liam brings their joint hands down at their sides again. The song plays on for another few seconds but they don’t move until it fades out and the excited crowd rushes forward tearing their hands apart. Hordes of people push in between them but their eyes find each other again and through all the commotion the only faces they see are one another’s- smiling, eyes locked.

****

> **_You kill me boy, xo_ **

****

* * *

 

When Liam finds Theo by his distinctive scent, the chimera stands in front of a giant water fountain that spurts streams and streams or brilliantly colored water into the night sky, his back turned to Liam and his expression unreadable. The scent is that of Liam's anchor but it’s spiced with doubt and uncertainty and the faintest tinge of hurt, but it stings Liam’s senses, nonetheless.

 

“Hey…” Liam says carefully, moving to stand beside him. Theo acknowledges him with a warm smile that instantly relaxes the tense draw of Liam’s shoulders. The beta leans in and rests his head on the shoulder that seems to have been made just for that purpose, he sighs watching the colorful lights and water spray melodically into the air, the carnival music and lights now distant muffles behind them.

 

Liam hears the drum of Theo’s heart before he exhales and speaks, “Is it because you can’t have Brett?” Theo asks and his voice passes with so much hope for the right answer that even if 'no' was not what Liam was going to say, he would have been tempted to lie.

 

But the beta answers truthfully, “It’s because I want _you_.” And Theo can tell by the way his heart keeps rhythm that it’s not a lie, he can tell by the sweet way Liam smells that he means what he says.

 

Theo moves away and Liam startles for a moment before he is pulled back into Theo’s embrace, held tight to the side of his body and a soft kiss is pressed to his head. The chimera’s heart is racing at the speed of light because he is finally holding the one he loves, the can finally _let_ his heart race and not care to make up an excuse for it.

 

Before he can get too comfortable a familiar voice calls out to them and they snap apart to turn toward it.

 

“Sorry, did we interrupt a moment??” Corey asks, his arm hooked around his boyfriend.

 

“Yeah, actually you did.”

 

“Yeah, I can see that,” Mason shoots Liam a suspicious smile the beta returns with only a wink. Theo blushes and looks the other way but Corey keeps his eyes on him, he frowns at the new sparkle in the chimera’s eyes, the light that spills from him, a light that makes him look human and vulnerable in a way Corey has never seen before.

 

“What are you guys up to? Wanna grab something to eat?” Masons asks and Liam agrees, slipping his hand back into Theo’s, he pays no mind to Mason’s questioning glare, he stares ahead and they make small talk until they reach Theo’s truck. Liam takes the keys and offers to drive and the four hop into their respective seats. The truck roars away into the night, through suburban towns and a hundred stop streets while the music blares and they pass the flask around skipping Liam behind the wheel, Theo digs around in Liam’s pocket for the other vodka sachet, lingering a while longer just to be close, Liam smiles but keeps his eyes on the road, only moving his arm so that Theo has better access.

 

On the way to the diner Liam spots the motel pool that he used to break into with his cousins and Mason when they were younger, he remembers the beautiful waterfalls and man-made rocks that surround it and he wonders if they’ll still be able to get in, if it’s still unguarded. He veers the truck down a dark side road and parks it under a low hanging willow tree outside the quiet motel’s gate.

 

“This is not a diner,” Corey says and giggles, his light body already intoxicated from the strong mix of wolfsbane. Mason leans over and kisses him, “Come on babe, this is even better.” He grabs his boyfriend’s hand, pulling him out of the truck.  Liam and Mason head for the pool, unbuttoning their shirts as they run.

 

“Let’s go!” Liam yells in a failed whisper as he and Mason run off ahead and fiddle with the lock on the gate, “This time you have super fancy claws to pick the lock, we don’t need the wire hanger!” Mason laughs and Liam shushes him but chuckles and flicks his claws out, driving one into the slot where a key should go and it flips open easily. The small gate creaks open and Mason leans in behind a bush, flipping a switch that lights up the pool area, just as beautiful as Liam remembers. Theo stands beside him, his hands tucked into his pockets, nudging his shoulder gently, “I’m telling Scott you break into motel pools.” He jokes looking at the yellow lights that shine into the dark trees and the water cascading quietly down a rock into the pool.

 

“I’m telling Scott you have a crush on his beta.” Liam says and smirks, watching Theo turn a bright pink even in the dim light. “Shut up Liam.” It’s far beyond a crush at this point but he says nothing and smiles, following the other two who are partly naked already aside from their underwear, giggling and whispering louder than they realize. Theo unbuttons his shirt and shrugs it off his shoulders and the giggles around him stop replaced with a resonating slap when Mason catches Corey staring at the sight.

 

Liam pushes them into the pool as he makes his way to Theo, stripping his own shirt off. He tosses it beside Theo’s on the small bench. The chimera undoes his pants and drops it to the ground leaving him in only white briefs, and this time it’s Liam’s heart that stutters in his chest… he knew Theo was well built, he saw it in the way his clothes fit but he’d never seen him this close to naked before and he’d not sure his heart will make it.

 

“I uh… I… You’re really hot Theo. God.” Liam slips his own pants off and adjusts his boxers as he skims Theo’s body again.

 

“You are too Liam.” Theo laughs shyly and looks down, tucking his hands in under his arms but it makes it worse for Liam as his arms now bulge where they press to his body and all Liam wants to do is jump into them and feel them curl around his body, and he hopes that if they do, they never let go. He holds his hand out to Theo and the chimera takes it. Liam leads them to the edge of the water where Theo surprises him by doing a flip into the pool, splashing water everywhere, including the lip locked couple floating around in each other’s arms.

 

 Liam follows him, making a huge splash too, he surfaces and flips his long hair back, his smile is bright and aimed straight at Theo as he swims toward him, stopping only inches from the chimera. The heat of their bodies collide, begging to be joined into one. Theo’s eyes wander to where the water droplets are rolling down Liam’s lips, he’s never been more tempted in his life to just dive forward and kiss the beta until he can’t remember his name…. or is screaming Theo’s- whichever comes first.

 

Corey slips up behind them holding out Theo’s tie, “Wanna play Marco Polo?”

 

“What?” Theo asks, his expression genuinely blank and both Liam and Corey understand why, and Liam’s heart aches about the childhood Theo missed out on and will never get back.

 

“Yeah, we’ll play. Theo can go first.” Liam says smiling warmly at the chimera as he moves to stand behind Theo. He takes the black tie from Corey and slips it around Theo’s shoulders, eliciting a rash of goosebumps over his bare skin, “I’m going to blind fold you okay?” he says because he remembers their conversations about Theo being shot and captured and bound, rendered helpless and how that made him feel, and how he struggles with control now. “Why?” Theo asks, but he is calm and his arms float loosely in the water at his sides, allowing Liam to bring the blindfold up, he’s merely inquisitive, he trusts Liam not to hurt him.

 

“Because it’s how you play the game. You’ll be blinded and call out ‘Marco’ and we will answer as ‘Polo’, until you can track us back to our voices.” Liam explains, his fingers drawing unnecessary long trails over the fine raised hairs on Theo’s back.

 

“And then? If I find you?”

 

“Lucky you I guess.” Liam whispers into Theo’s ear with a smirk and pulls the black tie over his eyes securing it with a knot behind his head, he waves a hand in front of the chimera’s eyes but he’s unresponsive. “You ready?”—“Yeah, go.”

 

Liam turns Theo around once, yelling ‘Polo’ and then he dives under the water swimming over to Corey and Mason on the opposite side of the pool, where he ambles toward Theo again.

 

“Marco” Theo calls out and follows the thumping heartbeats to his left, and so what if it’s cheating, he _is_ Theo Raeken after all. He sets the 3 hearts apart quickly, the two slower ones belong to the human and other chimera, but the one that beats with something that sounds like muffled thunder, _that_ is Liam’s heart. It’s that one he follows deeper in to the water.

 

“Polo…”

 

Theo swings to his right, the glow of the bodies’ heat sets off against his skin, like it did earlier, and he gravitates toward it like Icarus to the sun, “Marco…” he says much softer, stopping close to the warm body.

 

Liam holds his breath when Theo stops in front of him, his lips are only inches away from the chimera’s, “Marco…” Theo says again his voice barely audible and Liam replies in the gentlest whisper “ _Polo_.” before leaning up and connecting their lips with a soft bump.

 

They are interrupted moments later by Corey and Mason cheering wildly in the corner of the pool clapping and whistling and splashing like mad people. Theo chuckles and pulls the blind fold off, he quickly cups Liam’s face and brings the beta back to his mouth, kissing him again. He loops his arm around Liam’s back, pulling his body closer.

 

Finally, Theo doesn’t have to imagine anything anymore, he doesn’t have to imagine what Liam’s lips feel like, because the answer is _happiness_ and they taste like somewhere to belong, something safe and precious.

 

Liam smiles into their kiss as Theo spins them around in the water, and Liam thinks that maybe starting over isn’t such a bad thing, not when your heart has a reason to beat properly again and the huge arms around you feel like they will _never_ let go… in that case starting over is as easy as breathing.

 

**XOXO**


End file.
